The need to store digital files, documents, pictures, images and other data continues to increase rapidly. In connection with the electronic storage of data, systems incorporating one or more data storage controllers have been devised. Storage controllers receive data read and write requests from host computers and control one or more physical storage devices to beneficially store or provide the requested data from/to the host computers.
In mass storage systems, storage devices are typically housed in a sheet metal chassis, which is often mounted in a standard 19″ equipment rack. In this way, many such chassis can be mounted in a common rack, resulting in a highly efficient storage configuration. In many cases, each chassis has one or more slide-mounted drawers that pull out of the front of the chassis. The drawers provide access to the storage devices when the drawer is extended from the chassis. Slide assemblies generally consist of multiple telescoping metal channels or slide members. Separate channels of the slide assembly attach respectively to a side of a drawer and the chassis and telescope or slide with respect to each other to permit opening the drawer from the chassis while simultaneously supporting the drawer. For continuous availability and improved performance, it is desired to allow the storage devices to continue to operate while a drawer is opened or closed.
Use of drawer slides which are attachable to the inside walls of a chassis or cabinet for support of drawers that may be slidably pulled from the chassis or cabinet is well known. Typically, slide assemblies are constructed from two or more channels which telescopically lengthen or shorten in concert with an attached drawer. Drawers and/or slides include mechanical stop features to limit the maximum drawer travel out of or into the chassis or cabinet. Drawer stops prevent a drawer from over-traveling when extended and falling on the floor, or damaging other assemblies in the chassis when the drawer is fully pushed into the chassis or cabinet.